Chuka Umunna reveals fear of being murdered while waiting for the tube

Written by Dods staff on 13 December 2017 in Diary

Diary

Watch: The Labour MP said he never stands by the platform edge.

MPs from all parties have previously spoken about intimidation they were subjected to during the general election.

Labour's Diane Abbott said she had had a torrent of "mindless" racist and sexist abuse including death threats, while Tory MP Simon Hart has said colleagues were targeted by people who were intent on "driving them out of politics altogether".

And now Chuka Umunna has revealed that he takes specific action in response to the abuse hurled at politicians.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live's Emma Barnett, the Streatham MP said he had become more worried since he got married and had a daughter.

“If anything was to happen to me it has huge repercussions for my family and I constantly think about it,” he said. “I have to say most members of the public, 99% of the time are very pleasant to me when they stop me on public transport all over the country - but you do worry about your public safety.

“I'm careful I do not stand anywhere near the edge of a tube platform; I get worried sometimes that people are going to push me over. That goes through my mind.”

Umunna, once seen seen as Labour leader-in-waiting, was speaking after the Committee on Standards in Public Life called for a crackdown on the rise in intimidation and abuse at elections.

In a gloomy prognosis, he added: “There's something about when you become an MP... you almost become de-humanised. And then of course it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you'll just end up with odd people in politics and politicians will be hated even more.”